West Sammamish River Bridge Replacement: Construction started in March 2020 and will be completed in late 2022.

Juanita Dr NE Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements: Construction is expected to begin in July 2020 and take about a year to complete.

68th Ave NE Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements: Construction is expected to begin in spring 2021 and take about a year to complete.

This project will replace the existing southbound bridge across the Sammamish River and include the construction of new sidewalk and bike facilities on the west side of the road between NE 170th St and NE 175th St. The West Sammamish Bridge Project will also include new signals at NE 170th Street and NE 175th St, new streetlighting, utility undergrounding and new landscaping.

Kenmore residents passed the Walkways and Waterways bond measure to fund projects to improve safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians and connect people to public open space and waterfront activities. Currently, the City of Kenmore is headed towards construction on the following two projects.

Juanita Dr NE Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements:

This project involves the construction of new pedestrian and bicycle access to the bridge on the east side of Juanita Dr NE, between NE 143rd St and NE 170th St.

This project will include:

• New sidewalk and landscaping on the east side of Juanita Dr NE from 143rd St to NE 170th St
• Buffered bicycle lanes in each direction
• Bus stop improvements
• Improved street lighting
• A new storm drainage system
• Minor traffic signal modifications

68th Ave NE Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements:

This project will construct new sidewalk on one side of 68th Ave NE from NE 182nd St to 61st Pl NE. The City of Kenmore will also be constructing bicycle lanes in each direction and upgrading street lighting. This project will also install a new storm drainage system.

The West Sammamish River Bridge was constructed in the 1930s and is nearing the end of its engineered life. To ensure the safety of our community, the City of Kenmore implemented weight restrictions on the bridge in 2014 until its replacement. The City is taking advantage of the replacement to add a bike path, American’s with Disabilities Act compliant sidewalk and new enhancements such as improved streetlighting and signals.

Safety is critical to the success of this project—and that doesn’t exclude safety for wildlife. Salmon migrate for months at a time in the Sammamish River, which means that work can't be done below the water during that time. The City of Kenmore worked with biologists and the permitting agencies to determine the times allowable to work in the water, otherwise known as the fish window. These narrow windows of in-water work limit the speed at which the construction contractor can complete the project. The City anticipates needing three fish windows to finish all the necessary work needed in the water.

The following three fish windows are when work will be done in the water:

• July 1 to August 31, 2020.
• July 1 to August 31, 2021.
• July 15 to August 31, 2022.

The City of Kenmore was able to find several funding sources:

• Federal Highway Administrations Highway Bridge Programs funded $12 million. (Federal funds)
• Transportation Improvement Board funded $7 million. (State transportation funds)
• Surface Transportation Program funded $1.6 million. (Federal funds)
• Connection Washington State Fund contributed $12 million. (State funds)
• Additional funding from the City of Kenmore, Northshore Utility District and other utilities within the project limits.

Building a new bridge requires a large number of permits, including several from other government entities. In late 2018, the City was waiting for final permit approval from several federal agencies, when they were impacted by the government shutdown. Once they had a chance to review the permits, the City missed the opportunity to work in the 2019 fish window and pushed out construction for one year.

One of the main goals of the project is improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. During construction, walking and biking paths will be rerouted away from construction activity and temporary signs will be used to make it easy for commuters to find and use the new, temporary routes. Pedestrian traffic has been shifted exclusively to the east side of the bridge. If construction is interfering with pedestrian access, please locate a flagger who will help provide guidance to safely navigate the construction zone. Bicyclists will share the roadway with vehicles, however if you do not feel comfortable sharing the roadway, please dismount and walk your bicycle across the bridge on the east sidewalk

Construction is expected to be completed in blocks or segments. Full road closures will be required at different stages of construction at the following locations:

• 68th Ave NE between NE 185th and NE 190th streets
• 68th Ave NE between NE 190th and NE 195th streets
• 68th Ave NE between NE 195th St and 66th Ave NE
• NE 202nd St between 66th Ave NE and 61st Ave NE

These full road closures are necessary to safely install large stormwater detention vaults under the roadway. Closures and detours will be in place 24/7 until work is complete. See detour maps for reference. Detours will be installed during construction to route through traffic around the work zone, with only local access permitted to residents who live within the work zone area. Motorists who use 68th Ave NE only for convenience are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternate routes like 61st Ave NE or 73rd Ave NE to avoid construction. Typical single lane closures controlled by flaggers will also be utilized along the corridor as needed, when multiple operations are underway. Traffic control plans are subject to change by the contractor with City approval.

Emergency vehicles will have priority access during construction. The City of Kenmore will be coordinating with local police and fire for emergency planning, as well.

The City of Kenmore will coordinate with local schools to determine safe drop-off and pick-up areas for buses, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. The City will provide advanced notice when these changes will take place. Sign up for construction alerts to learn about any changes that might affect travel times.

Routes will not change, but bus stop locations will be moved to avoid conflicts with construction. Temporary stops will be located relatively close to their existing locations. Signs have been posted showing where temporary bus stops are located. After construction, permanent bus stop locations will be changing. For more information on live bus routes, visit King County Metro Trip Planner.

Yes. However, during certain periods of construction, your access to the boat launch will change. Sign up for email construction updates to learn more about these changes before they occur.

Here are the primary impacts you can expect:

• Throughout the year, the driveway will be periodically impacted which will slightly delay access to the boat launch site. These impacts will be sporadic and will mostly likely only be a delay of less than a few minutes.
• Boat traffic underneath the bridge will temporarily be closed for 15-minute periods in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard during in-water work. During popular community events, the City will continue to work with the U.S. Coast Guard to determine how to best acommodate access.
• During the months of July and August of 2020, 2021, and 2022, the parking stalls on the east side of the lot will be closed and used for construction. Truck and trailers will need to park in the available right of way on NE 175th St, west of 65th Ave NE.
• Nighttime access under the bridge may be restricted for up to 10 hours during the summer month fish windows (see "Why will it take three years to build the new bridge?" FAQ).
• The access road underneath the bridge is closed until fall 2022. Access to the boat launch will have to come from the north. To exit the boat launch, vehicles will need to head south. Access northbound and exit northbound will not be provided.

During the 10-month period when the west (southbound) bridge is closed, traffic for all modes of transportation will be moved to the east bridge. One lane of vehicular traffic will be maintained in each direction; however, drivers are encouraged to find alternate routes and/or adjust commute schedules when possible due to increased congestion. Pedestrian traffic will occasionally need to be detoured through Rhododendron Park to accommodate construction. 

Yes! The City of Kenmore has been in communication with Bothell, Kirkland, and other nearby cities. Check out the interactive map on the website for more information about projects in Bothell and Kirkland, as well as additional projects in Kenmore.

Great question! Please visit KenmoreConstruction.com and sign up for email updates. You can also call the project hotline at (425) 201-4147 or email info@kenmoreconstruction.com.

The water level in Lake Washington is controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and can vary by more than two feet, which impacts navigational clearance under the West Sammamish River Bridge and perceived bridge height. Once complete, the height of the new west bridge will match the east bridge, and will allow for similar clearance under the bridge. The width of the west bridge will be 45 feet once complete, to include two southbound lanes and a designated multi-use path. The columns for the new west bridge will also be aligned with the east bridge. More information on water level targets can be found on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website.